dyton mupawaenda
Blessings Chidakwa–Herald Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa, who is Chancellor of all State Universities, yesterday capped degrees and diplomas to 639 students during the Harare Institute of Technology’s 14th graduation ceremony.
This year’s graduation had 100 more graduates compared to last year’s, demonstrating that more people continue to invest faith in education as a tool for social transformation.
Of the 639 graduates, 38,8 percent were females.
Forty-eight graduates attained First Class degree passes.
The President recognised six outstanding graduates, under the Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Chancellor’s Award, with the overall best male and female students, each pocketing US$1 000. Four best graduating First Class students received US$500 each.
The best male graduating student, Zvikomborero Mufari, who was pursuing a Finance Engineering degree, walked away with US$1 000.
Mufari said he would not have achieved the feat without the hand of God.
Graduates celebrate at the Harare Institute of Technology University yesterday. — Picture: Justin Mutenda.
“I can’t say it is my intelligence, but I just see the hand of the Lord all over. All my years here, while they were for academic purposes, the journey was also a prayerful one.
“Everything I did, I first dedicate it into the hands of the Almighty. I believe God has taken me this far,” said Mufari.
The genius said while some of his peers were celebrating the graduation ceremony as the end of their academic careers, for him it was actually the beginning of a new lease of life.
“While most of us are expecting to look for employment, God permitting, my vision is to start up my own things, a professional firm based on the knowledge I acquired in Financial Engineering,” said Mufari.
A graduate in Chemical and Process Systems Engineering, Yeukai Chihowa, said yesterday was a great day in her life.
“I feel overjoyed, ecstatic because it hasn’t been quite an easy experience. It was a rough and bumpy ride but then I made it through,” she said.
“I intend to venture into the mining industry in the long run, but for now fuels and oils.”
Zimpapers staffer, Kudzanai Sharara, who is Assistant Business Editor for our sister paper, Business Weekly, was among the graduates after completing a Master of Technology Degree in Strategy and Innovation.
“The course was very useful especially for my kind of work where I have to be innovative and introduce new things and help my organisation prosper,” said Sharara.
Charlene Chingwendere, who also graduated with a Chemical and Process Systems Engineering degree, said: “I am planning to join the energy sector. While doing attachment I was working at ZETDC and I enjoyed my internship.
“To those coming after us, I say please work hard. It is not easy but you can do it. Since I did it, we can all do it,” she said.
Another graduate, Juda Tarume who now has two Master’s Degrees, said the road was never an easy one.
“I found the programme so challenging as it was more demanding and I would like to use it to pursue my organisational performances and also allow myself to be in the industry as far as strategy and business viability is concerned,” he said.
HIT Vice Chancellor, Dr Quinton Kanhukamwe, said engineering, technology and innovation have entered a period of unparalleled intensity and vivacity, bringing a new round of industrial revolution that is restructuring the global innovation domain and redesigning global economic structures.
“We are witnessing the never-been-seen information technologies, represented by the artificial intelligence, quantum physics, mobile telecommunications, Internet of Things, and block chain among other novel and awesome developments,” he said.
“HIT continues to strategically align itself to the national development aspirations by robustly pursuing the five missions of university service namely research, teaching, community service, innovation and commercialisation (Education 5.0).”
Dr Kanhukamwe said guided by the HIT Act of 2005, they have made concerted efforts to contribute to economic transformation through the provision of technology and engineering solutions, responsive to the needs and challenges across various economic sectors.
He said their strategic plan, Vision 2025 “Designing the Future”, continues to inspire collective impact, playing a pivotal role in the delivery of technology outcomes that are making HIT a key partner in the Second Republic’s modernisation and industrialisation agenda.
Dr Kanhukamwe also took time to congratulate President Mnangagwa and Zanu PF for winning the 2023 general harmonised elections conducted in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner. He said the victory demonstrated the great developmental work led by President Mnangagwa in the last five years, which is noticeable across various sectors of the economy.
“The HIT family cherishes your principled visionary, servant leadership and guidance, including your relentless efforts to consolidate the nation’s political, economic, and social status through various policies and practices that are promoting and enhancing our global competitiveness and economic growth,” he said.
Online Reporter